ICE Imposes New Rules on Congressional Visits

[highplainsdem]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Emile (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: NYT

The Department of Homeland Security has imposed new limits on visits by members of Congress and their staff to immigration enforcement facilities, intensifying a conflict between federal immigration officials and Democratic lawmakers.

In guidance released this month, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement asserts that it has broad power to “deny a request or otherwise cancel, reschedule or terminate a tour or visit” by lawmakers or their staff under a number of circumstances, including “operational concerns” or if “facility management or other ICE officials deem it appropriate to do so.”

Under existing law, members of Congress can make unannounced oversight visits to immigration facilities that “detain or otherwise house aliens.” But the new policy specifies that ICE field offices are not subject to those requirements. Detained immigrants have been held in some of those offices for days waiting for officials to process their cases.

The new protocol, updated since February, comes as Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly been denied access to ICE facilities this month as they try to conduct congressional oversight, and amid high-profile clashes between federal immigration officials and members of Congress.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/us/politics/ice-congress.html

[C_U_L8R]

1. They don't write the laws

And they certainly aren't elected to do anything of the kind.

[moonshinegnomie]

2. democrats should follow these steps

1) show up unannounced for a visit.
2) get denied entry
3) have local police arrest the ICE agents. If ICE wont allow their arrest wait til teh agents is off duty on heir wat home and pick them up.
4) transport the agents to an undisclosed jail making ICE have to search for them

[madville]

5. Arrest them for what?

Local police would have no jurisdiction or authority to detain federal officers at the request of Congressional reps.

[underpants]

3. Complete BS

[moonshinegnomie]

4. their so called rules dont even make sense

(a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of
Homeland Security by this Act may be used to prevent any of the following persons from
entering, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the
Department of Homeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens, or to make any
temporary modification at any such facility that in any way alters what is observed by a
visiting member of Congress or such designated employee, compared to what would be
observed in the absence of such modification:
(1) A Member of Congress.
(2) An employee of the United States House of Representatives or the United States
Senate designated by such a Member for the purposes of this section.
(b) Nothing in this section may be construed to require a Member of Congress to provide
prior notice of the intent to enter a facility described in subsection (a) for the purpose of
conducting oversight.
(c) With respect to individuals described in subsection (a)(2), the Department of Homeland
Security may require that a request be made at least 24 hours in advance of an intent to enter
a facility described in subsection (a).

so let me get theis straight
2b says congress doesnt have to provide notice .
but part c says 24 hour notice...


time for a court to order ICE to follow the law.

[onenote]

7. Seems clear: No notice is required for a member of congress. 24 hours notice required for a designee of a member.

24 hours notice is required for an employee of the House or Senate designated by a member. In other words, the no notice rule applies to members and the 24 hours notice applies to individuals employed by Congress attending as their designee.

The problem, of course, is that members are unlikely to show up without staff and the 24 hour notice applies to staff.

[OrlandoDem2]

6. Take this to court! Meanwhile, show up and make a spectacle!

[Bayard]

8. This is your new, "policy,"

Not the law. Pound sand.

[Emile]

9. After an alert to the hosts, locking.

This is duplicate of the same news story posted earlier.

Dupe of https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143481865